Rocketmedic
Member
So after five years with an infantry unit and a lot of shooting, carrying, cleaning and practicing with M4s, I somewhat swore off AR-15s, in that they really didn't do it for me shooting in terms of enjoyment and my budget didn't really have room for a then-costly rifle or ammo. For the last few years, I really haven't been bitten by the AR bug, and I've discovered Western-style guns and 22LR for shooting, which is a boatload of fun. However, I have seen the steep decrease in prices and the popularity of the platform, and I do feel some nostalgia for the old days and 'my' M4. Watching a couple of new shooters utterly fail to understand how to run an AR-15 and helping them to clear a double-feed brought back memories and made me want one again. I've already set about the task of retiring my Mosin from its centerfire-rifle position, because it's a little too much for anything less than hunting and ammunition is starting to dry up for it, and I want something more Western. This rifle ought to fill the following criteria:
-Be less than 0.30cal (because of noise, cost and weight). Exception for 30-30, because that's a common round.
-Be affordable, meaning less than $500.
-Be not in some weird caliber that is only loaded once a decade by a lumberjack commando gunsmith in Montana from bear teeth- meaning .223/5.56 or .243 or 30-30 or something really common. .223 is ideal.
-Easily accessorized with fiberoptic iron sights, optics, and a light.
-Light in recoil, easy to learn and shoot, and non-punishing (the biggest strike against the Mosin)
It doesn't have to do home defense in the apartment because that's what the .45 and shotguns are for, but it is a consideration (and yes, I know this points squarely at an AR in most of the country)
The Pros:
On a practical level, I also know how to run an AR quite well and what it's capable of, and I respect the platform and its capabilities a lot. I could see myself enjoying range days with an AR, and I do trust it in practically any situation to function as designed. I trust my life and family with an AR-15 because it's a well-engineered and effective weapon. Plus, it's Tactical Man Barbie Playset. There's a lot one can do with an AR. I've got the cleaning kits, the mags, a few pouches, the training and I know how to maintain it well.
The cons:
1. I'm fairly left of the political center and can easily see myself moving to one of the coastal states where ARs are heavily regulated, so there's somewhat of a philosophical "why do I need an assault rifle" and a practical "and what if I end up moving?" aspect to the AR platform that isn't there with my other firearms.
2. I've already got firearms that are realistically all I'd ever need for home defense, survival in some weird scenario or anything up to and including being dropped into a combat zone. 8 rounds of 00 buck are pretty much anything I'd ever need in most places.
3. They are still pretty costly, although around the same price as the alternative.
4. Although the GOP and Trump are pretty pro-2A, future or local politics could make AR ownership a lot harder, and it's a lot more 'threatening' to a lot of people than other weapons.
The alternative for "centerfire rifle" is either a Savage Axis (cheap bolt-action), a single-shot like a Rossi or NEF, or a lever-action carbine like a Marlin 336. All three of these choices are somewhat cheaper than an AR, are ready to run "out of the box", and are all capable of doing what I want to do- shooting for fun, hunting if necessary, and putting rounds out a little further than a 22 can go. All are less capable combat weapons than the AR and don't meet the nostalgia factor, but also don't have the political and regulatory stickiness of ARs either.
So...your thoughts?
-Be less than 0.30cal (because of noise, cost and weight). Exception for 30-30, because that's a common round.
-Be affordable, meaning less than $500.
-Be not in some weird caliber that is only loaded once a decade by a lumberjack commando gunsmith in Montana from bear teeth- meaning .223/5.56 or .243 or 30-30 or something really common. .223 is ideal.
-Easily accessorized with fiberoptic iron sights, optics, and a light.
-Light in recoil, easy to learn and shoot, and non-punishing (the biggest strike against the Mosin)
It doesn't have to do home defense in the apartment because that's what the .45 and shotguns are for, but it is a consideration (and yes, I know this points squarely at an AR in most of the country)
The Pros:
On a practical level, I also know how to run an AR quite well and what it's capable of, and I respect the platform and its capabilities a lot. I could see myself enjoying range days with an AR, and I do trust it in practically any situation to function as designed. I trust my life and family with an AR-15 because it's a well-engineered and effective weapon. Plus, it's Tactical Man Barbie Playset. There's a lot one can do with an AR. I've got the cleaning kits, the mags, a few pouches, the training and I know how to maintain it well.
The cons:
1. I'm fairly left of the political center and can easily see myself moving to one of the coastal states where ARs are heavily regulated, so there's somewhat of a philosophical "why do I need an assault rifle" and a practical "and what if I end up moving?" aspect to the AR platform that isn't there with my other firearms.
2. I've already got firearms that are realistically all I'd ever need for home defense, survival in some weird scenario or anything up to and including being dropped into a combat zone. 8 rounds of 00 buck are pretty much anything I'd ever need in most places.
3. They are still pretty costly, although around the same price as the alternative.
4. Although the GOP and Trump are pretty pro-2A, future or local politics could make AR ownership a lot harder, and it's a lot more 'threatening' to a lot of people than other weapons.
The alternative for "centerfire rifle" is either a Savage Axis (cheap bolt-action), a single-shot like a Rossi or NEF, or a lever-action carbine like a Marlin 336. All three of these choices are somewhat cheaper than an AR, are ready to run "out of the box", and are all capable of doing what I want to do- shooting for fun, hunting if necessary, and putting rounds out a little further than a 22 can go. All are less capable combat weapons than the AR and don't meet the nostalgia factor, but also don't have the political and regulatory stickiness of ARs either.
So...your thoughts?
